Reciprocating agitator for screens



Dec. 6, 1949 B. B. HAZARD 2,490,520

RECIPROCATING AGIIATOR FOR SCREENS Filed Aug. 13, 1945 Ba2 & ara B.Fazard Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNI T ED STATES PATENT OFFICERECIPROCATING:AGITATORaFOR-' seREENs.

Barbara Blllazardf'wilinington, Ohio Application'August 13,1945;-Seria;l No; 610,527: 4 Claims. (01. zest-357)] This inventionrelates-to sifter meansfor use in association with flour. boxes-andother finely divided materials, and has for one of its objects toprovide simple, inexpensiveand efiicient means for sifting andaerating-finely divided materials as the same are undergoing dischargefrom cartons or boxes in which the; same customarily are commerciallypacked.

Many grades of cereal flour, particularly the finely milled gradesusedin cakebaking or thelike, require sifting or aeration in producingbaked products ofdesirable texture or lightness. Asa practical matter,suchsifting is often neglected or improperly carriedv out and the causeof the imperfectly bakedproducts'resultingtherefrom wrongfullyattributed to. the baking flour used.

It is, therefore, animportant object of the present invention toprovide-a boxfor finely mixed baking floursby which proper aeration andsiftingof the flour is necessarily obtainedas the contents. of theboxarebeingdischarged.

It is a further object of theinventionto provide a box for bakingfiours' inzwhich a screened outlet is provided,- the outlet havingassociated therewith a reciprocable closure and scraper elementoperablefrom the exterior of'the box, and which element is movableoverthe under surface of the outlet screen to open or close the. outlet and,when reciprocated, to clean the screen of obstructing deposits, insuringa positive and regulated flow of the flour through the outletina:

manner providing for effective aeration'thereof.

In connection with the aforesaidobjects, I have developed certain novelmechanical featuresof construction which are set forth more fullyhereinafter and. illustrated. in. the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view-ofthe upper portion of a flour box.provided with improved sifting and aerating means constituting thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the box on the planeindicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the reciprocable closure andscraper element.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates astandard form of paperboard box or carton in which baking flours, orother finely divided materials, may be commercially packed. Inaccordance with the present invention, the top 6 of the box is formedwith an outlet opening-1 and'across this opening there is. arranged-afine-mesh screen 8, preferably of wire. Located immediately beneath thetop of one or. more openings. l0 which, through sliding adjustment ofthe plate,-.may beregistered with.

the outlet opening I andits screen 8 to provide for the discharge of.the box .contents.

Ordinarily, the plate projects at one end through a slide l-I providedin the upper region ofonezof the sidewalls: I21 of the.box,,andterminates-in an exteriorly positioned downwardly directed flange I 3;-Normally, this flange lies closelyaadjacent to --the outer surfaceof theside wall l2gbut maybe engagedrbythe fingers of the user. of thebox-So'thatthe' platernay be reciprocatedrto Positions registeringtheopenings ll] thereinwith the; box outlet 1, or to close said outlet,as desired.

In;additionmotheguidance provided by the slit; ll intherwalh l2; thesideedges ofthe plate 9. may; be-received'in stationary: guide bars 54carriedby and, dependingifrom the under surface of-theboxtop 6;-so that'the closure plate may be efiectively supported in its. various positions0f.'use;i Preferablyg-thesplate 9 is'formed with downwardly turnedt-lipsl5: -which limit outward slidingmovementof. the-:plate, so that the samecannot beaccidentally withdrawn from the box.

Another important feature of..,the invention resides'in formingthe platewith'altransverse scraper. element 5 which, advantageously; may bearranged betweemthe:openingsz l0 therein. The scraper. element israised; somewhat. above the general horizontalplane of the.body ofv theplate 9;--.so.that when the; latteris'moved to a position registeringthe'zopeningsvlll thereinwith the outlet: 1; the scraper; element will.frictionally engage with thezun'derrsurface of the: screen 8. When sopositioned, the plate is reciprocated, causing the scraper element tomove back and forth across the screen, and with the box in an invertedposition, such action on the part of the plate will produce positive andregulable flow of the flour through the box outlet. The scraper elementprevents the flour from obstructing the passages of the screen, andagitates or vibrates the latter snfiiciently so that the flour passestherethrough in volumes and in a manner providing for desired aerationthereof as it is being discharged from the box.,

Thus, with the use of the present invention, the desired sifting oraeration of the flour is necessarily obtained during discharge of theflour from the box, and the manufacturer or packer of the flour isthereby assured that his product will be properly dispensed for its mosteflicient utilization in baked or other food products. It will beunderstood that any suitable materials may be used in the manufacture ofmy improved sifter construction and that various changes in thearrangement and proportion of the structural elements above describedand illustrated may be made without departing from the essentialfeatures of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Sifter construction comprising a box formed for the reception offinely divided materials, said box being provided with amaterial-discharging opening, a stationary fine mesh screen disposedacross said opening, a slidable closure plate carried by said boxadjacent to and below said screen and outlet opening, said plate havingan actuating extension disposed exteriorly of said box, the body of saidplate being provided with an opening adapted for registration with saidoutlet opening when the contents of the box are to be discharged, atransverse scraping element formed with said plate adjacent to theopening therein, said element being engageable with said screen forproducing forced passage of the finely divided materials contained insaid box through said screen, and guide means formed with said box forthe slidable reception of said plate.

2. Sifter construction comprising a box formed for the reception offinely divided materials, said box being provided with amaterial-discharging opening, a stationary fine mesh screen disposedacross said opening, a slidable closure plate carried by said boxadjacent to said screen and immediately below outlet opening, said platehaving an actuating extension disposed exteriorly of said box, the bodyof said plate being provided with an opening adapted for registrationwith said outlet opening when the contents of the box are to bedischarged, a raised transverse scraping element formed with said plateadjacent to the opening therein, said element being engageable with saidscreen for producing forced passage of the finely divided materialscontained in said box through said screen, formed with said box for theslidable reception of said plate, and means for limiting the extent ofsliding movement of said plate.

3. In a paperboard box or carton for the reception of baking flours andother finely divided materials, a top for said box formed at one endthereof with an opening for the discharge of a the contents of the box,a stationary sieving' screen secured to said top and covering saidopening, a slidable substantially rectangular closure plate for saidopening supported in connection with said top immediately below theguide means opening therein, one end of said plate projecting through aslit provided in one. end of said box at the top thereof, the end ofsaid plate projecting through said slit being formed with an actuatingextremity accessible exteriorly of said box, the body of said platebeing of sufficient ,.-top when said plate is moved outwardly, and ascraper device formed with said plate contiguous tothe opening therein,said device being movable into direct contact with the screen when saidplate occupies its box-like opening position.

4. In a paperboard box or carton for the reception of baking flours andother finely divided materials, a top for said box formed at one endthereof with an opening for the discharge of the contents of the box, astationary sieving screen secured to said top and covering said opening,a slidable substantially rectangular closure plate for said openingsupported in connection with said top immediately below the openingtherein, one end of said plate projecting through a slit provided in oneend of said box at the top thereof, the end of said plate projectingthrough said slit being formed with an actuating extremity accessibleexteriorly of said box, the body of said plate being of suflicientlength to provide an imperforate region for covering said screen andopening when the plate occupies a position of closure within theconfines of the box and to present an opening adapted to register withthe opening in the box top when said plate is moved outwardly, a scraperdevice formed with said plate contiguous to the opening therein, saiddevice being movable into direct contact with the screen when said plateoccupies its box-like opening position, guide devices carried by saidbox for the slidable support of said closure plate, and stop means forlimiting the extent of sliding movement of said plate.

BARBARA B. HAZARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 226,804 Taylor Apr. 20, 1880382,541 Martin May 8, 1888 508,345 Sack'ett Nov. 7, 1893' 667,550 MollerFeb. 5, 1901 1,153,378 Frankenberg Sept. 14, 1915 1,485,032 Janes Feb.26, 1924 1,754,482 Nicholls Apr. 15, 1930 2,224,495 Wiggins Dec. 10,1940

